Empire is planning to arrive in her home port in Oslo Motorbåtforening

in Bestumkilen at
1200 3. November 2012!

Welcome !

NOW WHAT 3 ???

Written July 2012

Probably not Svalbard/Spitsbergen, but still in the Oslofjord September/October
We are most probably heading via Greenland and Island to Tromsoe, before heading south the Norwegian coast. Sadly we are realizing that the distance will be a bit too long to sail via Svalbard/Spitsbergen, if we are going to make it "home" this year - but we still keep Svalbard as an option... See "Calendar 2012".
We will probably be heading in the Oslofjord sometime September/October...

NOW WHAT 2 ???

Written March 2012

Probably toward Norway in 2012
Underway westward across the Atlantic Ocean, from Ascension toward Martinique, we have looked into our route alternatives. A temporary plan is made to head back to Norway this year. From the Caribbean we will head toward New York, before taking the "northerly route" hopefully via Svalbard/Spitsbergen and then to mainland Norway.
We will probably be heading in the Oslofjord sometime September/October...

NOW WHAT???

Written January 2012

Now what...
More and more often on board Empire we are talking about the frightening word – W O R K . Either we like it or not, the voyage is taking us slowly but steady back toward Norway. What`s left in the travel account is getting smaller and smaller – and it is about time that we start bringing some money in to the account – not only out…
If we are sailing all the way back to Norway before we let us employ we will have to choose the ”short route alternative” towards Norway. That means from Caribbean to Acores, then on to Europe and Norway. If we in Caribbean find that the economy is still ok – or that we stop somewhere underway to W O R K for a shorter or longer period, the possibility opens for the ”northerly route alternative”. The northerly alternative means to continue north along the east coast of USA and Canada before heading toward Greenland, Spitsbergen and finally Norway. The northerly alternative is the route we really would like sail to get back to Norway. BUT – as we are saying to ourselves, we have already been out sailing for two more years than we thought when we left – with a doubled crew – so maybe it is time to point the bow in the direction of Norway even though the wanting and will to continue sailing is still there?
How will it be to come back home after spending more than 7 years in a world that none of our friends understand? Only the few friends that have visited and sailed with us for some time know what we have been doing. All the others believe that we have been sitting in the cockpit day after day with tall umbrella drinks watching the life pass bye. Maybe a bit put on the edge – but we are more and more often woundering about what it will be like to come back to Norway after so many experiences in a totally different world…
How will it be to squeeze ourselves in to a regular A4 everyday life? The thought scares more than it is tempting, and we believe that we have to continue do something different also when we have arrived back home. But what – we still haven`t figured out quite yet. Luckily – plans are made with the possibility for changes – and we are looking forward to what continued sailing will bring!